Men’s erectile dysfunction and smartphones: Toronto life insurance broker shares info about cellphones health issues.
Smartphones have become an inseparable part of our daily life: we communicate through them, travel with them, eat with them and do lots of other things using them.
As we all know, cellphones can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link while moving around a wide geographic area. In addition to telephony, modern mobile phones also support a wide variety of other services such as text messaging, MMS, email, Internet access, short-range wireless communications (infrared, Bluetooth), business applications, gaming and photography. To do that, cell phones use electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range.
The enormous increase in mobile phone, especially smartphone, usage throughout the world has initiated numerous studies on its effect on human health. Cellphones produce radiofrequency energy, which can pose a health hazard by direct thermal or indirect, non–thermal effects.
“Cell phone usage and men’s erectile dysfunction: a short communication.”
The results of recent study that were published by Badereddin and co–workers in the Central European Journal of Urology present an extremely big interest. The article is titled “Cell phone usage and men’s erectile dysfunction: a short communication.” Although, the authors themselves confess that the value of this study may be impaired with the small number of participants (there were 30 men involved), it was carefully concluded and very well documented.
Two demographically similar groups of men were questioned:
- 20 men suffering from erectile dysfunction diagnosed using the International Index of Erectile Function
- 10 men not having any erectile problems
Those two groups of men were compared in terms of total talking and carrying time.
Erection is a complex process of neurovascular physiological reactions, which can be interfered by many neural, vascular, hormonal, and psychological factors. However, the researcher found that differences between two small studied groups were at the level of significance.
It was shown that the total TIME OF EXPOSURE to the radiofrequency emitter is much more important than the DURATION OF CALLS:
- The men suffering from erectile dysfunction carried their switched off cellphones in the pockets for 4 and more hours a day.
- The men without “men’s health” problem carried their mobile devices for 2 hours a day or less.
- The “talking” time was almost the same.
So, carry your smartphone far away from the “organ in question”, and use hands–free sets wherever possible – just in case.
Smartphones and sperm count and sperm quality
A number of studies have shown relationships between mobile telephone use and reduced sperm count and sperm quality. The Environmental Working Group has a website page “Cell Phone Radiation Damages Sperm, Studies Show” that reviews and tabulates studies showing relationships between mobile phone use and low sperm count and sperm quality
Smartphones and thermal effects
Thermal effect of microwave radiation is well-understood: it happens due to the fact that any dielectric material is heated by rotations of polar molecules induced by the electromagnetic field. If a person uses a cellphone, most of the heating effect will occur at the surface of the head, causing its temperature to increase by a fraction of a degree (similar to obtained during the exposure of the head to direct sunlight). The brain’s blood circulation is capable of disposing of excess heat by increasing local blood flow. However, the cornea of the eye does not have this temperature regulation mechanism and can cause some health problem.
Smartphones and cancer
Although many studies showed no increased risk of cancer connected to the cellphone radiation, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified cellphone radiation as Group 2B – possibly carcinogenic. That means that there “could be some risk” of carcinogenicity, so additional research into the long-term, heavy use of smartphones needs to be conducted. The most common recommendation is to minimize exposure to radiofrequency energy as a precautionary approach.
Smartphones and electromagnetic hypersensitivity
Some smartphone users have reported feeling several unspecific symptoms during and after its use; ranging from burning and tingling sensations in the skin of the head and extremities, fatigue, sleep disturbances, dizziness, loss of mental attention, reaction times and memory retentiveness, headaches, tachycardia, to disturbances of the digestive system. Reports have noted that all of these symptoms can also be attributed to stress.
Smartphones and cognitive effects
There are a lot of studies on the effects of exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) emitted by standard GSM cellphones on the cognitive functions of humans. The study confirmed longer (slower) response times to a spatial working memory task when exposed to RFR from a standard GSM cellular phone placed next to the head of male subjects, and showed that longer duration of exposure to RFR may increase the effects on performance. Right-handed subjects exposed to RFR on the left side of their head on average had significantly longer response times when compared to exposure to the right side and sham-exposure.
A number of researchers have found significant effects on sleep.
To be honest with you, the majority of studies show no definite causative relationship between exposure to smartphones radiofrequency radiation and harmful biological effects in humans. The World Health Organization stated that cell phone use may possibly represent a long-term health risk. So far, there is no direct and clear answer still, mostly because these studies have failed to be replicated.
I would be happy if you consider this information useful.
Yours truly, Olga Ryjkova, Toronto life insurance broker.
1183 Finch Ave West, Unit 301
Toronto, Ontario M3J 2G2
Cell: 416-822-2698
Email: olga.ryjkova@gmail.com
Website: www.insurancestoronto.ca
References:- Marcin Słojewski: Cell phones give more benefits than risks, but… Central European Journal of Urology. 2014: 54-55.
- Badereddin MA–A, Patzak J, Fishereder K, Pummer K, Shamloul R. Cell phone usage and men’s erectile dysfunction: a short communication. Central European Journal of Urology. 2013, 66: 75–77.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health
- Moulder JE, Foster KR, Erdreich LS, McNamee JP. Mobile phones, mobile phone base stations and cancer: a review. Int J Radiat Biol. 2005; 81: 189–203.
- The Environmental Working Group official website – http://www.ewg.org/